ABSTRACT
Origins and Consequences of Slope Failures Gravitational forces are always acting on a mass of soil or rock beneath a slope. As long as the strength of the mass is equal to or greater than the gravitational forces, the forces are in balance, the mass is in equilibrium, and movement does not occur. An imbalance of forces results in slope failure and movement in the forms of creep, falls, slides, avalanches, or flows.
